cicero-第8章

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forced　to　publish　his　bills　of　sale；　Cicero　told　him　that　he　liked



these　bills　much　better　than　those　of　his　father。　By　this　habit　he



made　himself　odious　with　many　people。



　　But　Clodius's　faction　conspired　against　him　upon　the　following



occasion。　Clodius　was　a　member　of　a　noble　family；　in　the　flower　of　his



youth；　and　of　a　bold　and　resolute　temper。　He；　being　in　love　with



Pompeia；　Caesar's　wife；　got　privately　into　his　house　in　the　dress



and　attire　of　a　music…girl；　the　women　being　at　that　time　offering



there　the　sacrifice　which　must　not　be　seen　by　men；　and　there　was　no



man　present。　Clodius；　being　a　youth　and　beardless；　hoped　to　get　to



Pompeia　among　the　women　without　being　taken　notice　of。　But　coming　into



a　great　house　by　night；　he　missed　his　way　in　the　passages；　and　a



servant　belonging　to　Aurelia；　Caesar's　mother；　spying　him　wandering　up



and　down；　inquired　his　name。　Thus　being　necessitated　to　speak；　he　told



her　he　was　seeking　for　one　of　Pompeia's　maids；　Abra　by　name；　and



she；　perceiving　it　not　to　be　a　woman's　voice；　shrieked　out；　and　called



in　the　women；　who　shutting　the　gates；　and　searching　every　place；　at



length　found　Clodius　hidden　in　the　chamber　of　the　maid　with　whom　he



had　come　in。　This　matter　being　much　talked　about；　Caesar　put　away



his　wife；　Pompeia；　and　Clodius　was　prosecuted　for　profaning　the　holy



rites。



　　Cicero　was　at　this　time　his　friend；　for　he　had　been　useful　to　him　in



the　conspiracy　of　Catiline；　as　one　of　his　forwardest　assistants　and



protectors。　But　when　Clodius　rested　his　defence　upon　this　point；



that　he　was　not　then　at　Rome；　but　at　a　distance　in　the　country；　Cicero



testified　that　he　had　come　to　his　house　that　day；　and　conversed　with



him　on　several　matters；　which　thing　was　indeed　true；　although　Cicero



was　thought　to　testify　it　not　so　much　for　the　truth's　sake　as　to



preserve　his　quiet　with　Terentia　his　wife。　For　she　bore　a　grudge



against　Clodius　on　account　of　his　sister　Clodia's　wishing；　as　it　was



alleged；　to　marry　Cicero；　and　having　employed　for　this　purpose　the



intervention　of　Tullus；　a　very　intimate　friend　of　Cicero's；　and　his



frequent　visits　to　Clodia；　who　lived　in　their　neighbourhood；　and　the



attentions　he　paid　to　her　had　excited　Terentia's　suspicions；　and；



being　a　woman　of　a　violent　temper　and　having　the　ascendant　over



Cicero；　she　urged　him　on　to　taking　a　part　against　Clodius；　and



delivering　his　testimony。　Many　other　good　and　honest　citizens　also



gave　evidence　against　him；　for　perjuries；　disorders；　bribing　the



people；　and　debauching　women。　Lucullus　proved；　by　his



women…servants；　that　he　had　debauched　his　youngest　sister　when　she　was



Lucullus's　wife；　and　there　was　a　general　belief　that　he　had　done　the



same　with　his　two　other　sisters；　Tertia；　whom　Marcius　Rex；　and　Clodia；



whom　Metellus　Celer　had　married；　the　latter　of　whom　was　called



Quadrantia；　because　one　of　her　lovers　had　deceived　her　with　a　purse　of



small　copper　money　instead　of　silver；　the　smallest　copper　coin　being



called　a　quadrant。　Upon　this　sister's　account；　in　particular；



Clodius's　character　was　attacked。　Notwithstanding　all　this；　when　the



common　people　united　against　the　accusers　and　witnesses　and　the



whole　party；　the　judges　were　affrighted；　and　a　guard　was　placed



about　them　for　their　defence；　and　most　of　them　wrote　their　sentences



on　the　tablets　in　such　a　way　that　they　could　not　well　be　read。　It



was　decided；　however；　that　there　was　a　majority　for　his　acquittal；　and



bribery　was　reported　to　have　been　employed；　in　reference　to　which



Catulus　remarked；　when　he　next　met　the　judges；　〃You　were　very　right　to



ask　for　a　guard；　to　prevent　your　money　being　taken　from　you。〃　And　when



Clodius　upbraided　Cicero　that　the　judges　had　not　believed　his



testimony；　〃Yes；〃　said　he；　〃five…and…twenty　of　them　trusted　me　and



condemned　you；　and　the　other　thirty　did　not　trust　you；　for　they　did



not　acquit　you　till　they　had　got　your　money。〃



　　Caesar；　though　cited；　did　not　give　his　testimony　against　Clodius；



and　declared　himself　not　convinced　of　his　wife's　adultery；　but　that　he



had　put　her　away　because　it　was　fit　that　Caesar's　house　should　not



be　only　free　of　the　evil　fact；　but　of　the　fame　too。



　　Clodius；　having　escaped　this　danger；　and　having　got　himself　chosen



one　of　the　tribunes；　immediately　attacked　Cicero；　heaping　up　all



matters　and　inciting　all　persons　against　him。　The　common　people　he



gained　over　with　popular　laws；　to　each　of　the　consuls　he　decreed　large



provinces；　to　Piso；　Macedonia；　and　to　Gabinius；　Syria；　he　made　a



strong　party　among　the　indigent　citizens；　to　support　him　in　his



proceedings；　and　had　always　a　body　of　armed　slaves　about　him。　Of　the



three　men　then　in　greatest　power；　Crassus　was　Cicero's　open　enemy；



Pompey　indifferently　made　advances　to　both；　and　Caesar　was　going



with　an　army　into　Gaul。　To　him；　though　not　his　friend　（what　had



occurred　in　the　time　of　the　conspiracy　having　created　suspicions



between　them）；　Cicero　applied；　requesting　an　appointment　as　one　of　his



lieutenants　in　the　province。　Caesar　accepted　him；　and　Clodius；



perceiving　that　Cicero　would　thus　escape　his　tribunician　authority；



professed　to　be　inclinable　to　a　reconciliation；　laid　the　greatest



fault　upon　Terentia；　made　always　a　favourable　mention　of　him；　and



addressed　him　with　kind　expressions；　as　one　who　felt　no　hatred　or



ill…will；　but　who　merely　wished　to　urge　his　complaints　in　a　moderate



and　friendly　way。　By　these　artifices；　he　so　freed　Cicero　of　all　his



fears；　that　he　resigned　his　appointment　to　Caesar；　and　betook



himself　again　to　political　affairs。　At　which　Caesar；　being



exasperated；　joined　the　party　of　Clodius　against　him；　and　wholly



alienated　Pompey　from　him；　he　also　himself　declared　in　a　public



assembly　of　the　people；　that　he　did　not　think　Lentulus　and　Cethegus；



with　their　accomplices；　were　fairly　and　legally　put　to　death　without



being　brought　to　trial。　And　this；　indeed；　was　the　crime　charged　upon



Cicero；　and　this　impeachment　he　was　summoned　to　answer。　And　so；　as



an　accused　man；　and　in　danger　for　the　result；　he　changed　his　dress；



and　went　round　with　his　hair　untrimmed；　in　the　attire　of　a



suppliant；　to　beg　the　people's　grace。　But　Clodius　met　him　in　every



corner；　having　a　band　of　abusive　and　daring　fellows　about　him；　who



derided　Cicero　for　his　change　of　dress　and　his　humiliation；　and　often；



by　throwing　dirt　and　stones　at　him；　interrupted　his　supplication　to



the　people。



　　However；　first　of　all；　almost　the　whole　equestrian　order　changed



their　dress　with　him；　and　no　less　than　twenty　thousand　young　gentlemen



followed　him　with　their　hair　untrimmed；　and　supplicating　with　him　to



the　people。　And　then　the　senate　met；　to　pass　a　decree　that　the



people　should　change　their　dress　as　in　time　of　public　sorrow。　But



the　consuls　opposing　it；　and　Clodius　with　armed　men　besetting　the



senate…house；　many　of　the　senators　ran　out；　crying　out　and　tearing



their　clothes。　But　this　sight　moved　neither　shame　nor　pity；　Cicero



must　either　fly　or　determine　it　by　the　sword　with　Clodius。　He



entreated　Pompey　to　aid　him；　who　was　on　purpose　gone　out　of　the　way；



and　was　staying　at　his　country…house　in　the　Alban　hills；　and　first



he　sent　his　son…in…law　Piso　to　intercede　with　him；　and　afterwards



set　out　to　go　himself。　Of　which　Pompey　being　informed；　would　not



stay　to　see　him；　being　ashamed　at　the　remembrance　of　the　many



conflicts　in　the　commonwealth　which　Cicero　had　undergone　in　his



behalf；　and　how　much　of　his　policy　he　had　directed　for　his



advantage。　But　being　now　Caesar's　son…in…law；　at　his　instance　he　had



set　aside　all　former　kindness；　and；　slipping　out　at　another　door；



avoided　the　interview。　Thus　being　forsaken　by　Pompey；　and　left　alone



to　himself；　he　fled　to　the　consuls。　Gabinius　was　rough　with　him；　as



usual；　but　Piso　spoke　more　courteously；　desiring　him　to　yield　a